What do pilots, deep sea oil rig workers, and physical therapists have in common? More than you might think, particularly when it comes to regulation.

The World Health Professions Regulation Conference in May will include a keynote address by Professor Rhona Flin, a director of a UK-based industrial psychology research center, who will explore the connection between health care and high-risk industries by showing how failures in communication and decision-making can trigger adverse results. The address is part of the conference, titled "Health Professional Regulation—Facing Challenges to Act in the Public Interest" and set for May 17-18 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The conference will bring together health professionals and regulators from around the world to explore approaches to regulation including competency-based models. The meeting is being hosted by the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) and will take place immediately before the World Health Organization’s World Health Assembly in Geneva.

More information and registration materials can be accessed through the conference website. WHPA is an alliance of global organizations representing more than 26 million of the world’s physical therapists, physicians, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists, in more than 130 countries. APTA is a member of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy, which is a part of WHPA.